Complete the analogy: Grain is stored as Stock. In a similar way, a Stick collected with many other sticks becomes what?

Introduction / Context:
This analogy question uses everyday objects and their group forms to test reasoning ability. The first pair Grain : Stock indicates that individual grains, when accumulated, form a stock or store of grain. The second pair has Stick : ?, and we must identify the collective form that corresponds to a group of sticks. Such questions encourage candidates to think about how individual items combine into grouped or organised forms in common language and usage.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Grain represents individual units of harvested crops like rice or wheat.
• Stock refers to the stored quantity of goods, particularly grain or inventory.
• Stick represents a single piece of wood, usually thin and long.
• Options are Bundle, String, Collection, and Heap.
• We assume basic familiarity with everyday English terms for groupings of objects.

Concept / Approach:
The relationship in the first pair is that many grains together, usually organised for storage, form a stock. It is not just a random pile but a maintained quantity for future use. For sticks, the most natural grouped form is a Bundle of sticks tied together. The phrase bundle of sticks is common in language and appears in moral stories and daily life. String is a material used for tying, not the group itself. Collection and Heap are generic terms, but they do not capture the specific, tied grouping that is characteristic of sticks. Bundle therefore parallels Stock as an organised group of individual units.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that Grain : Stock describes individual units forming an organised store. Step 2: Understand that we need a word describing the grouped form of many sticks. Step 3: Recall the common phrase bundle of sticks, where many sticks are tied together to form a convenient unit for carrying or storage. Step 4: Examine the options. Bundle names this specific grouping, while String is only the material used to tie objects. Step 5: Collection and Heap are general grouping words and do not convey the particular image used in the well known expression. Step 6: Select Bundle as the correct completion of the analogy Stick : Bundle.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify by looking at how these words are used in everyday phrases. People talk about a stock of grain, a stock of goods, or stock in a warehouse. Similarly, they speak of bundles of sticks, bundles of newspapers, or bundles of clothes, especially when these items are tied together. String is used to create a bundle but is not itself the bundle. Collection and Heap may be grammatically possible but do not mirror the specific nature of the first pair, which focuses on a recognised form of storage or grouping. Therefore, Grain : Stock is matched best by Stick : Bundle.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
String: String is a material used for tying objects, not the name of the grouped sticks themselves.
Collection: Collection is a generic term and does not reflect the specific, tied grouping associated with sticks in common phrases.
Heap: Heap suggests a disorderly pile, which does not parallel the more organised sense of Stock or the tied grouping implied by Bundle.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to select Collection because it seems related to many items gathered together. However, analogy questions often depend on common fixed expressions, and here bundle of sticks is the standard phrase. Another pitfall is to look only at loose similarity and not at the precise parallel structure of the analogy. Remembering typical collocations, such as stock of grain and bundle of sticks, helps in answering this and similar questions correctly.

Final Answer:
Grain gathered for storage forms a Stock, and in the same way, sticks gathered and tied together form a Bundle.